Gifs are often perceived as a personal, funny or quirky addition to a comment or post used on personal social media accounts. Although they are often used in this way, it is often a misconception that their use is limited to a few laughs here and there and little more. The reality however, is quite different. Gif’s are a fantastic marketing tool that when used correctly, can reap great rewards for businesses.
People crave customization and within the past decade, personalisation of B2C products and services has become increasingly popular. Renowned businesses such as Nike have jumped on this evolving customer experience with their Nikeid trainers. They allow their customers to personalise every aspect of their product, from the colour of the laces to the typography on the heel and use gifs as a powerful marketing tool to advertise their high selling foot-wear: https://twitter.com/Nike/status/999651558773026819
This increasing and popular demand for personalisation has resulted in a shift in the way we connect with our audience, making more informal and fun marketing aids like Gifs, a true asset to successful business advertising.
There are many reasons why your business should utilise gifs, but here are just a top few to consider:
1. It’s cheaper than animation
Animations are a great form of marketing communication, but if budgets are tight, gifs are a quick and easy alternative that won’t break the bank!
2. They're easier and quicker
for the mind to process
The brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Images are universal and often easier to understand by a range of cultures and languages.
3. A picture's worth a thousand words,
but a gif's worth more
Motion is a better way of communicating a process or a product. Motion can really aid in explaining how something works, just that little bit better (and quicker!) than a still image or a paragraph. Plus, they’re quite captivating!
4. Gifs yield great results
Successful companies such as Amazon, Twitter, American Apparel and Dell (to name a few) and even Nasa use gifs in marketing to explain important information over Twitter. Dell saw impressive results from it's first GIF-centered email campaign:
- 6% increase in open rate
- 42% increase in click rate
- 103% increase in conversion rate
- 109% increase in revenue
5. They cater to short attention spans
Gifs are known for being short, so people don’t mind giving up 5 seconds to watch them. Plus, if you’ve got it right, they should be entertaining and eye-catching which often encourages viewer to watch more. Research shows that users only have time to read 28% of words per visit to a webpage on average, which means just under three quarters of your message might ever be read.’ So, to ensure your message isn’t missed, why not turn your 'call to action' button or your 'product process' paragraph into a animated gif!
6. Multiplatform use
Gifs can be used in a range of your everyday marketing platforms such as;
- Email newsletters
- Social media; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr
- Website (WordPress)
- Presentations (powerpoint)
7. Gifs are mobile and internet friendly
Gif’s only last a few seconds, therefore their file size is significantly smaller making the process of uploading and loading them much quicker. So instead of running the risk of losing your audience’s attention by using a slow loading video, why not grab them in an instant with a gif?
8. Easier to remember
80% of people recall what they’ve see as opposed to 20% recalling what they’ve read. Say it in pictures, not words!
9. They’re fun and connect your audience
It’s a great way for helping brands to keep that personal touch and to share authenticity. Fun and quirky gifs can help brands to create a significant relationship with their audience – A simple emotional connection can be more powerful than you think!
10. They’re more appealing
Researchers found that using colour visuals increase the willingness to read by 80% – colourful images help to increase your audience’s engagement and animating them, only grabs their attention quicker.
If you want to take your marketing to the next level, why not drop us a line on +44 (0)1420 520 865? We can help bring your email campaigns, social media posts and websites to life and really make an impact with your target audience. Contacts us here. And why not visit our Animation & Video Production page to see some more of the great projects we’ve worked on.
